Member Meeting: |
July 20, 2011 |
James W. Fitch, Author of Desert Sailor
| Our guest speaker at the July 20th membership meeting is WWII veteran and author, James W. Fitch of Oakmont. Join us as James speaks about his war experiences that include witnessing the launch of the Doolittle raid on Japan in the early days of WWII and shooting at kamikazes attacking his destroyer at Okinawa. James will offer his autographed books for sale at our meeting. This sailor’s memoir leads from the U.S. Navy’s peacetime "Pineapple Fleet" in Pearl Harbor to a secret convoy transporting the "Flying Tigers" to Asia. After the disaster at Pearl Harbor, his ship raids Japanese bases in the central Pacific. |
 |
| He watches Doolittle’s bombers take off from the Hornet to bomb Tokyo, then proceeds to the carrier air battles of Midway and Santa Cruz. At Guadalcanal he is wounded when his ship sinks. From hospitals in New Zealand he moves to New Guinea, then to a destroyer at Okinawa, shooting at kamikazes. Post-war service in China and Japan round out his story. |
|
Biography:
James Fitch was born in New Mexico. In January, 1941, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17. After World War II he attended Harvard College as a G.I. Bill veteran, won a prize fellowship, and spent a year in South America with his bride, Claire Thompson. They wrote several articles for THE NEW YORK TIMES and VISION magazine. After returning to Harvard for an MBA degree, Jim worked as an industrial executive: for 13 years in Venezuela, 10 years in Mexico, and 10 years in Chicago. Then he retired. He and Claire live in Santa Rosa, California.Location:
Mesa Beverage Company, Inc.3200 N. Laughlin Road. Santa Rosa, CA
Directions: From Santa Rosa, take Highway 101 North and exit at Airport Blvd. Turn left on Laughlin Road toward the museum. The Mesa building is located on the left side of the street just past the museum and Nob Hill south gate.
Missed one? in 2010?
Don't miss the next one!
| July 20 | Author and WWII veteran James W. Fitch will discuss his experiences serving in the US Navy during WWII. There will be book sales and autographs of “Desert Sailor” at the meeting. |
| August | No meeting. Enjoy the Wings Over Wine Country Air Show! |
| September 21 | Aviation professional and former United Airlines mechanic Faride Khalaf will join us with his presentation on the Boeing 747 fuel system and everything you always wondered about the intricacies of what it takes to keep that jumbo jet’s four engines turning and burning. |
| October 19 | Rollie Barton WWII veteran P-51 pilot in Italy. |
| November 16 | Christina Olds, daughter and author of her father’s story “THE MEMOIRS OF LEGENDARY ACE ROBIN OLDS”. |
